Besse is too small to grade: French towns get subject grades from 1,000 residents. 29% of homes here are second homes. Over-65s are just over a third of the population.
What makes Besse stand out
The 2 things Besse does most differently from other towns.
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Besse.
Who lives here
Children make up only 8.1% of Besse, fewer than in both Dordogne’s towns and compared French towns
17% of adults hold a degree, below both Dordogne’s towns (24%) and compared French towns (30%). The 15-to-24 age group makes up 4.7% of residents. People 65 and over make up 34% of the town.
57.5median age
BesseDordogne medianFrance median
Ages · share of residents
34%
Under 1515–2425–4445–6465+
Highest diploma · residents 15 and older who have left education
No diploma28%
CAP or BEP27%
Baccalauréat22%
Higher education17%
Women and men · all residents
52% women, 48% men
WomenFrance medianMen
About 92 men for every 100 women. Median share of women: Dordogne 52.7%, France 51.8%. Women live longer than men, so towns with many older residents have more women.
INSEE, census 2023 · Dordogne median and France median: the median of compared communes
History
Old homes shape Besse: 35% were built before 1919, more than in both Dordogne’s towns and compared French towns
France has no History Grade yet: this card describes, it doesn’t grade.
Among the classé monuments in Besse is Église Saint-Martin. The earliest of these monuments dates from the 12th century. The Culture ministry lists 2 historic monuments here: 1 classé (France’s highest heritage protection) and 1 inscrit (the second level).
Ministère de la Culture, Mérimée (Licence Ouverte 2.0) · INSEE, census 2023, homes by build period
Work & commute
Walking, cycling and public transport carry fewer commuters in Besse than in Dordogne’s towns or compared French towns: 7.5%
For its 50 residents in work, Besse has 50 jobs: 0.5 each. The unemployment rate comes to 10.1%. Half of residents lived on more than €24,800 a year per consumption unit, between Dordogne’s towns (€23,610) and compared French towns (€25,970).
7%walk, cycle or take transit
How working residents got to work · census 2023
Driving85%
On foot7%
Public transport0%
Bicycle0%
Motorbike or scooter0%
50
jobs based in Besse, 0.5 per working resident
10.1%
unemployment rate, ages 15 to 64 in the labor force · median of compared French towns 10.1%
€24,800
median annual income per consumption unit, 2023 · median of compared French towns €25,970
People: INSEE, census 2023. Miles: center to center.
About Besse
Commune in Dordogne, Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Besse is a commune of 148 people in the Communauté de communes de Domme-Villefranche du Périgord. TownRatings compares communes, France’s local unit: each has its own mayor and its own statistics. Its area takes in the town and the countryside around it.
Built from INSEE’s 2026 official geography (COG) and IGN Admin Express boundaries
Population
148 (INSEE, census 2023)
Intercommunality
Communauté de communes de Domme-Villefranche du Périgord
Contains public sector information under the Licence Ouverte / Open Licence 2.0 (Etalab): INSEE, DGFiP, the Interior Ministry’s statistics service (SSMSI), the Ministry of Education (DEPP), the Health Ministry’s statistics service (DREES) and the Housing Ministry (Carte des loyers). Commune boundaries: IGN Admin Express.
